Folk Magic, Druidism, Heathenry, & Pagan Parenting

Altered Art for the Altar…

…actually it’s altered art for a shrine- I just liked the play on words. (Really though, don’t you think it’s annoying when someone types ‘alter’ when they mean so say ‘altar’?)
This picture is of a statue/ wall plaque that was originally an angel from Hobby Lobby. It has been the main focus of my household shrine for nearly a decade now. When I first got her, I broke off her wings, patched up the sides with plaster, and placed clay braids in her hair. Then I painted the altered areas beige to match the rest of her. She represents Anna, by the way (my family’s interpretation of the Irish goddess Danu/ Anu). When I was pregnant I painted her red to represent the life-blood of motherhood. Recently she’s had another makeover, as you can see. Most of her dress is green to represent the green world. The bowl of her skirt has more blue tones for she is also goddess of the waters. And because she is a primordial goddess, I think of her as encompassing the universe (though this may or may not be a historically accurate depiction of Danu/Anu), so her face is the silver of the moon, her hair the blackness of space, and she wears a golden crown representing the sun.
She is my best attempt at altered art. In my eyes she looks serene and regal. I have tried altering another figurine that I found at a thrift store, so I could have a goddess statue that rests on a flat surface to bring to rituals, but the results were less than pleasing. [The branch arched above her represents Green Jack (our interpretation of Bilé, the Irish tree god).]

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I think she’s gorgeous. Recently when I was visiting my parents, I bought some nativity scene pieces and started to repaint them for El Dia de los Muertos. I didn’t get a chance to finish before my vacation ended, however. I guess they’ll have to wait until next summer!